Can Just 4 Days of Junk Food Really Harm Your Memory?

New Delhi, Sep 12 (NationPress) Are you a fan of indulging in cheeseburgers and fries? Caution is warranted, as just four days of consuming these high-fat foods could rewire the brain's memory center, increasing the risk of cognitive dysfunction, according to recent research.

The study, conducted by the University of North Carolina (UNC) in the United States, indicates that the negative effects of fatty junk foods on the brain can occur almost immediately, occurring well before any noticeable weight gain or diabetes.

These findings pave the way for early interventions that could potentially prevent long-term memory loss linked to obesity, particularly driven by Western-style fast foods high in saturated fats.

Published in the journal Neuron, the research revealed that a specific group of brain cells located in the hippocampus, known as CCK interneurons, become excessively active after consuming a high-fat diet (HFD), due to the brain's compromised ability to absorb glucose (sugar).

This heightened activity disrupts the hippocampus's memory processing capabilities, even after just a few days on a high-fat diet, stated Juan Song, Principal Investigator and professor of pharmacology at the UNC School of Medicine.

The study also identified that a protein called PKM2, which regulates how brain cells utilize energy, is crucial to understanding this issue.

“While we understood that diet and metabolism could impact brain health, we were surprised to find such a specific and sensitive group of brain cells, CCK interneurons in the hippocampus, that were directly affected by short-term exposure to a high-fat diet,” remarked Song, a member of the UNC Neuroscience Center.

“What astonished us most was the rapid alteration in these cells' activity in response to diminished glucose availability, and how this shift alone could impair memory,” he added.

The research team placed mouse models on a high-fat diet resembling typical junk food before conducting behavioral tests.

Within just four days of a high-fat diet, the results indicated that CCK interneurons in the brain's memory hub became abnormally active.

The study also revealed that restoring brain glucose levels helped calm the overactive neurons, thereby resolving memory issues in the mice.

Moreover, the research suggests that interventions such as dietary changes or pharmacological strategies might prove beneficial in safeguarding brain health against neurodegeneration related to obesity.

Notably, researchers found that dietary interventions like intermittent fasting following a high-fat diet were sufficient to normalize CCK interneurons and enhance memory function.